. When starting out as a
writer, most people automatically think of putting the plot and how to create
it first on their list of things to learn about. But I don’t agree – for two
reasons.

It is almost impossible to create any sort of truly original plot
for a Romance story. But you can create original characters.

When you are writing a Romance, it is the characters who
really matter. It’s their emotional journey that makes the essential part
of the plot so that you need to know your characters. Then put them
together and that will often create the plot for you.

You write using your own voice. That way you make the plot authentic to you –
so that only you would have written it in exactly this way. That makes it individual and not just a
carbon copy of everything else that has gone before it.

But
you do need a plot - and a plot is more than just a series of events -
so how do you train yourself to think in terms of an
interesting plot – and your version
of a particular story even if that theme/trope
has been used many times before?

Tell your characters’ story
your way

Spend time with your characters, getting to know
them, understand them, building them up, developing them from the inside out

Individual Characters – and
tell those characters’ stories.

Read Read Read – learn the
plots that make successful romances in the past and in the present – and the
ones that have failed

Think about them – which
ones can you still use?

Which ones
will need changing to make them work today?

How?

How could you turn a plot on its
head?

Have him
kidnap her?

She wants
the marriage of convenience?

Watch soaps/dramas/films – stop it
halfway – or at the end of the episode – ask yourself:

Where is it
going?

Who will
end up with whom?

Why?

What
conflict/problem/sudden revelation/black moment is the writer going to bring
in?

How could you do it differently?

What twists
could you bring in?

Who could
they end up with instead?

What if . .
.?

Read newspapers/magazines/watch
people stories on TV – use them as your characters - see if you can
see what will happen – check it against reality

How could you rework a fairy story –
Cinderella? Beauty and the Beast? Or a classic ? Jane Eyre? Pride and Prejudice?

The trick is to look at the tried and tested plots from a different
angle. To see what you can bring to a story from your own personality,
experience, interests. Some of those
tried and tested plots have stood the passage of time because they are great
sources on conflict – but if you write just the ‘same old, same old’ they will
just bore the reader – she’s seen it all before.

Find your own individual
touch of ‘seasoning’ and add it to the mix as before and you’ll end up with
something that is exclusively ‘you'!

For Dario Olivero, Alyse Gregory was
supposed to be a way to reap revenge against his estranged half brother.
But Alyse carries the key to the family acceptance he's always craved
and, realizing just how much trouble she's in, he can't turn away.

One solution!

A
marriage proposal is not what Alyse was expecting. But this deliciously
sexy Italian will resolve her family's debts if she becomes his
convenient wife… Her head says no but her body begs her to say yes.

With
an intensity rivaling the Tuscan sun, their mutual desire soon
escalates to something inconvenient, creating a whole new dilemma!

Thanks Mary, I'm glad the tips help you. I love a story if I can remember the characters well - the major details of the story line can be hazy but if the characters come alive, then I know I'll enjoy it.

I don't write fiction but I read a great deal for many years... I agree totally thaf I had to be invested in the characters... the plot was important but if I couldn't care about the characters I wouldn't read the book.... very good pointers ♡

Hi Luanna - I envy you reading a great deal - I wish I had more time to read., But writing books tends to take over. If you see my answer to Mary above, you'll know I agree with you - I really want to get involved with the characters and care what happens to them.

Great tips and questions to stimulate ideas!"An original plot is hard to find" so I guess that means we should stop panicking over the similarity of one plot to the next. After all, the X-factor lies in the delivery - no two writers can deliver a story in exactly the same way. There are different styles/voice etc to take into account.

"After all, the X-factor lies in the delivery " - so true, Michelle! We can all be given the exact same plot idea but we will take it, and the characters along a different paths and ways to tell it. We need to do it my way'! So often there are rushes of authors all writing the same - or very very similar plot lines (at least at the start) but then you add in individuality and that gives a whole new spin to a tried and tested story. I was teaching a class a couple of weeks ago and two students talked about a new story which began with the exact same event - the same as another writer I knew well - and the same that I had just finished and submitted a book on. No one had talked to each other before we started - and no one needed to panic and drop their own version of the story. They were all so different, even though they grew from the same 'seed'!

Thank you Cherie - I'm glad the advice helped. Some of my most successful books have been created by looking at tried and tested stories and asking myself 'how can I turn this plot line inside out - or upside down'?

I think this advice is spot on! I agree that the characters make the story in a romance. Kate gave great ways to have the characters tell the story and how to move the story along. Wising her the best of luck! :) ~Jess